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Saturday, January 31, 2009

Coffee Fest

Coffee, as well as a healthy competitive streak, a group of 40 baristaswill gather at ChicagoFree Pour Latte Art Championship held Friday, February 20 through Sunday,February 22, 2009. Baristas will battle for a first prize purse of $5,000.

Latte art continues to draw big crowds and attract talented baristas fromaround the country as they deftly couple the nuance of coffee making withthe whimsy of foamy creations. Local Chicagoans are getting in on the actand will represent The Italian Coffee Bar and The Brothers K Coffeehouse.The Coffee Hound from Bloomington is sending their best barista as isJeremiah Joe Coffee in Marseilles. Watch as the locals battle it out witha national field of coffee professionals that range from Seattle, Wash.,to Charlotte, N.C., from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Los Angeles, Calif., and SalemMass., to Portland, Ore. -- and many stops in between.

Just the Cup

Baristas receive a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute period to craft up tothree drinks that will pass muster with the three coffee industry judges.Each cup with be judged using a 90-point scoring among four categories aesthetic beauty and balance, color infusion, definition and creativity.Judges are outfitted with headphones and curtained off from thecontestants in a concerted effort to keep the critique focused solely onthe pour Stackhouse from Millrock, Chris DeFerio, a two-time winner of Latte ArtChampionships, and Sarah Allen, publisher of Barista Magazine.

Scores are posted immediately to a leader board that moves competitors upor out after each round. Larger than life shots of each pour are projectedto the audience who can judge for themselves. The most dexterouscombination of technical expertise and artistic whimsy will yield the topprize of $5,000. The second place winner will receive $1,000 and thirdplace victor will pull in $500.

Preliminary Rounds: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 12p.m.

Finals: Sunday at 9 a.m.

This year Coffee Fest welcomes new sponsor Ghirardelli Chocolate Companyto its list of sponsors and presenters Simonelli and Dillanos Coffee Roasters. the Latte Art Championship supporters,show manager. just as entertainment but as a tool to raise the bar of coffee knowledgewithin the specialty coffee industry.

About Coffee Fest

Coffee Fest has been bringing the specialty coffee, gourmet tea andalternative beverage industry professionals together since 1992 when theshow first got its start as a consumer coffee festival in Seattle. Since1998, retailers, roasters, distributors and manufacturers together for thriceannual trade shows to help attendees build and refine their businesses,get the first peek at new products and remain current with coffee and teaindustry trends. Coffee Fest hosted its first show off the mainland inHawaii in June. In November 2008, Coffee Fest hosted its firstinternational show in Hong Kong. For more information about all the shows,go to www.coffeefest.com